AMURT and AMURTEL Gujarat Earthquake Response
News Update February 11-17, 2001
Meeting Basic Needs
CARE Offers Support
The international relief organization CARE provided our teams with 1500 blankets, 1000 mats and 500 lanterns. CARE officers are highly impressed with our sincerity and effective system of distribution.
AMURT and AMURTEL Effective in Distribution
We do not dump relief goods by the road for survivors to come and pick up. This system is inequitable, as only the strong can walk to the drop-off points. Our method of distribution is as follows:
- first we send a team to the outlying villages to make a survey of the needs of the individual families
- the survey team compiles a list of needs and returns to one of our three relief centers in Anjar, Bhuj and Gandhidham
- the relief team then returns to the village and distributes the goods to the individual families
In this way we are assured that everyone, including the elderly, the sick and the young, receive the support they require.
Reliance Industries Offers Support
One of the largest Indian corporations, Reliance Industries, has undertaken to rehabilitate the whole town of Anjar. Their team was also impressed with the work of AMURT and AMURTEL, and provided us with 500 blankets, one truck load of biscuits and a few tents for distribution. They promised us more supplies in the coming days.
Caring for the Dead
Another twelve bodies were cremated on February 8th.
Last Rites for Moslems
The Government of Gujarat has allotted AMURT and AMURTEL Sector 6 for earthquake relief work. We have been helping the predominantly Moslem population there recover and bury their dead. By taking care of the gruesome details, we enable the survivors to grieve in peace. The people are very grateful for this service, saying that “angels have come” to help them.
Many of the survivors, both Hindu and Moslem have requested us to perform the last rites according to the Ananda Marga system. In the Ananda Marga ceremony we honor the life of the deceased, pray for the eternal peace of his or her departed soul, and pray for the well-being of those who remain on Earth. We also recite this ancient chant:
Onm' madhuva'ta' rta'yate madhuks'arantu sindhavah
Ma'dhvirn'ah santvos'adhii
Madhunaktamutas'aso madhumat pa'rthivam' rajah
Madhudyaorastu nah pita'
Madhuma'nno vanaspati madh'uma'n asto su'ryo
ma'dhvirga vo bhavantu nah
Onm' madhuh, Onm' madhuh, Onm' madhuh
(English translation)
May the wind bring good tidings
And the ocean waves carry joy
May we find sweetness in the fragrance of flowers
And bliss through day and night
May the earth nourish us well
May we find enchantment in spiritual life
And from the wisdom of our venerable ancestors
May our plants be charming
May the sun shower felicity
May all beings be blessed
More Tremors
Kutch was rocked again yesterday with another tremor. One of our volunteers panicked and jumped out of a second floor window. He damaged his spine. He has been sent to Bombay for medical treatment. We wish him a quick recovery.
AMURTEL trucks a welcome sight
AMURTEL volunteers are providing food and other basic needs to remote villages around Gandhidham. The trucks and our women volunteers are a welcome sight for survivors living in these neglected areas. Before distributing the relief supplies, we do a detailed survey to assess the exact needs of all the people. And then we make sure that these supplies are delivered to them personally.
Current Needs and Rehabilitation Plan
Current Needs and Rehabilitation Plan
The government is undertaking the huge task of clearing the rubble
and deciding where to put it and where to build new settlements. We are
expecting AMURT and AMURTEL to be allocated a village for reconstruction
within a few days.
According to the latest information, each house will cost around $5000
to build. So the total budget for 100 houses will be $500,000.
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